1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to electrosurgical instruments, systems and methods of using the same and, more particularly, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for sensing and using directional attributes of tissue.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Thermal therapy, such as Radiofrequency (RF) ablation, is an effective procedure for the treatment of certain tumors and the like. However, the outcome of said thermal therapies may be unpredictable and inconsistent. The increasing use of thermal therapy in the treatment of biological tissue and the like necessitates an accurate determination and a thorough understanding of the unpredictability and inconsistencies associated with thermal therapy. It is believed that thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity of biological tissues is a factor in contributing to said unpredictability and inconsistencies associated with thermal therapy.
It has been seen that biological tissue has different thermal and/or electrical conductivities in different directions. Thermal conductivity of biological tissues is dependant of the particular type of biological tissue and on the composition of the biological tissue. Different biological tissues exhibit different and/or unique thermal conductivities based on factors such as tissue density, tissue hydration, vascularization, age, direction and distance to major blood vessels, etc. Additionally, different biological tissues may exhibit a different and/or unique thermal conductivity in various directions from one another.
Electrical conductivity is not only determined by tissue type and composition, but also by other externally applied physical and chemical influences during thermal treatment, such as, for example, temperature inducement and saline pretreatment. An accurate knowledge of a change in the electrical conductivity of the target tissue, due to temperature elevation, may be a factor in predicting ablation area/volume, RF power control, and optimization of the cyclic RF power delivery. Knowledge of electrical conductivity as a function of salinity level of the target tissue may be another factor in predicting ablation area/volume, RF power control, and optimization of the cyclic RF power delivery.
These differences in thermal and electrical conductivity may affect the shape of the treatment zone during thermal therapies. Knowledge of the thermal and electrical conductivity of the tissue may also be used to enhance the resolution of modern imaging modalities (fluoroscopy, X-ray, CT scan, MRI, Ultrasound, etc.). Accordingly, sensing, measuring and interpreting these values and differences in thermal and/or electrical conductivities would be useful in assisting in the planning and performing of thermal therapy procedures.